Compositiestudies en figuurstudies Possibly 1881 - 1886

This is a page from a sketchbook by George Hendrik Breitner, currently held in the Rijksmuseum, that captures his exploratory approach to composition and form. The page is filled with a series of quick, light pencil sketches, layered on top of each other. The lines are tentative, searching, creating a sense of movement and energy. Breitner is clearly experimenting with different arrangements of shapes and figures, exploring the relationships between them on the page. Note the juxtaposition of architectural forms with figural studies. This combination destabilizes traditional distinctions between figure and ground. Breitner’s sketches invite us to consider the act of seeing itself. By presenting multiple perspectives and fragmented forms, he challenges our perception and encourages us to question fixed meanings. The unfinished nature of these studies reflects a broader artistic concern with the process of creation, rather than a finished product. The rawness and immediacy of these sketches anticipate later developments in modernist art, where the emphasis shifted from representation to the exploration of form and process.